Having
thus far cultivated the bog-trotter by washing and currying his person,
forming his movements, refining his manners, and giving him some ideas
of delicacy of behaviour, it now remained to introduce him in a knowledge
of politics; and for this purpose, as he could not read the Gazettes,
or other publications, it became necessary to give him the opportunity
of oral information on political questions: and as attending the debates
of congress, and hearing only in the galleries, would not put it in his
power to join occasionally, in the debates, and exercise himself in speaking;
the attending private clubs, or spending evenings occasionally at beer
houses, seemed the more eligible means to be adopted Accordingly, an evening
after this, the Captain taking him to a beer house, and occupying a bench,
called for a mug of ale, and bade Teague attend to the conversations that
were going forward.

The
redemption of what are called certificates was at that time the subject
of debate. It is well known to the readers of the present day in America,
but which perhaps will not be so well understood when this work comes
to be read an hundred years hence, that the United States, having incurred
debts during the war with Great Britain, and being unable at that time
to discharge them, could only give certificates of the respective sums
due to the several creditors: these they did give to the soldiers of their
army, to those from whom they had purchased articles, or who had rendered
any service: The prospect not being immediate of the public being in a
condition of taking up these, and the necessity of may of the holders
pressing, they had transferred their right in the certificates for a fourth,
fifth, or sixth of their nominal value; in some cases, at a much lower
rate. --The question was, whether, under these circumstances, the original
holder should be bound by the contract, and transferee ought to take the
whole sum from the public.

It was
stated on one side, that it was the folly of the holder to make the contract.
There was no fraud or imposition in the case; what he did was with his
eyes open. There was no undue advantage on the part of the purchaser,
for he took no more than the place of the holder; and the bargain was
fair and equal on both sides. The one had a present certainty which he
preferred: the other an uncertainty of a greater sum, of which he chose
to run the risk. The purchaser who gave credit to the bills of the states,
stood in a better point of view than the holder, who distrusting payment,
had parted with them.

On the
other side it was contended, that the certificates being only the evidence
of the debt, the receiving that was no payment; that real service was
rendered, and real payment should be made; that the purchaser discovered
a distrust of the credit of the government as well as the holder, in not
giving the full value, and therefore stood on no better ground; that from
the prevailing ideas under which these contracts were made, the holder
did conceive himself parting with these securities at an under value,
and the purchaser, as obtaining them at that rate, but neither had an
idea that the loss on the one hand, or the advantage on the other, could
be so great as on the principle of the provision made for the discharge
of the public debt it had come to be; that for these and other reasons
measures ought to have been adopted of a discrimination between the original
holders and the transferees.

Teague
had listened attentively, and, contrary to the injunction of the Captain,
with his mouth open. He would willingly have taken a part in the debates,
but the Captain, thinking the subject too abstruse to begin with, did
not seem to approve of it, and shaking his head, repressed the disposition
of the bog-trotter.

The
next topic of argument was that of the assumption of the state debts.
In order to understand this, we must state, that, in carrying on the war
against Great Britain, contracts were made, and debts incurred, on the
faith of the confederate states, by their representatives in congress,
and this was called the continental debt. At the same time, contracts
were made and debts incurred, on the faith of individual states, by their
representatives in the state legislature, and this was called the state
debt. This whole debt, continental and state, had been thrown into one
mass, and the payment assumed by the Congress. The policy of this measure
was now canvassed. On the one side it was contended, that as the whole
debt, continental or state, was payable by the United States, each state
paying the quota apportioned by the resolves of the former congress, and
having credit for what state debt contracted on account of the war, was
over or beyond this quota, the question was no more than this, whether
the ways and means of raising money for the discharge of its proportion
of the state debt, should remain with any state, as was before in the
case of furnishing its quota; or whether the United States, assuming the
debt in the first instance, should take upon themselves to discharge the
whole; that it came to the same thing, as the debt was payable by the
whole, and the only question was, with whom it should lie to devise ways
and means, to discharge it; that the system of finance became more simple,
when the United States assumed the whole, and provided for the payment
by ways and means of their own at once; that it would contribute to
the energy and secure the establishment of the federal government, to
have that government the immediate debtor of the whole amount.

To this
was answered, that each state was a better judge of the ways and means,
within itself, for the raising money to discharge its debt; and while
the United States, now having command of the imposts, should necessarily
take upon them to collect and provide for the discharge of the continental
debt, properly so called; yet it might be left with each state as before,
to collect and pay over what is called the state debt; receiving credit
from the United States, and having a right to draw from thence, any overplus
of that proportion which by the resolves of the former congress they ought
to pay of the whole debt.

The
Captain thinking this subject also above the comprehension of the Irishman,
was not willing that he should speak yet.

The
next topic was that of the incorporation of the bank of the United States,
some contending that no power was given by the constitution to the general
government to incorporate banks; others asserting, though not expressly,
yet under the article of paying debts, &c. and making laws necessary
for that purpose, it was by implication given.

The
Captain thought this also above the reach of Teague, and obliged him to
be silent.

The
next subject of argument was the policy of the war carrying on against
the Indians. By some it was contended that an Indian was a good creature,
simple and inoffensive, like a young child; that you might put your finger
in his mouth and he would not bite; that by speaking softly and kindly,
and giving him victuals and drink, and leggins, and breech-clouts, and
blankets, you might do what you please with him; that when you gave him
ammunition and fire-arms, he would go out and kill turkies, and shoot
down squirrels, and bring you in a deer now and then; and there was no
such thing as an Indian stealing a horse, or burning a house, or taking
a scalp, unless you had first stolen his horse, or burnt his house, or
taken his scalp; that when you made a treaty with these people, they had
such a love of Justice, such a sense of honour, such a perfect command
of themselves, and their young men, that there was no danger of their
departing from the treaty.

On the
other hand it was advanced, that, as a savage differed little from a beast
of prey; a wolf, or a panther of the woods; was rude, his passions violent,
attached to no farm, cultivating no art; his only amusement or sense of
honour war, or hunting, the image of war; his sense of Justice little,
his sense of honour none at all; no government in his state of society;
no security for individual or national engagements; that fear pervading
the mass, by reaching the feelings, and apprehensions of each individual
was the only principle by which they could be governed; that instead of
giving goods, as heretofore, it became us to retaliate by a heavy war.

Such
were the arguments on each side of this question; when the Captain looking
at Teague, and observing that he was anxious to advance his opinion, assenting
with a bow, or inclination of his head, he seemed to signify that he might
speak.

But
before we hear him, it will be necessary to observe, that during the preceding
arguments, the company had taken notice of him, as he sat beside the Captain
with a mug of beer before them; and had wondered in their own minds who
he could be; for though he was a little brushed up by this time, as may
be supposed, having been at the levee, and taught to dance, and received
lessons of delicacy; nevertheless, there was still and uncouthness in
his appearance that could not be all at once shaken off.

His
form had not yet lost

All
her original roughness, nor appeard

Less
than a paddy dress'd; and the excess

Of
his rusticity remov'd.

He therefore
the more easily engaged attention, when raising his voice, he began as
follows:

Plase
your anours, said he, I have heard of dese Indians, when I was tratting
wid de Captain my master.-- I came acrass one odem, who affered
a hundred dallars for my scoolp; he was going to a traty here abouts.
But my good master de Captain took my part, and didnt let him take
it aff; de vile savages! O! I have heard of dese Indians, plase your anours,
dey come out of de woods, and stale shape, like de rabbers in Ireland,
and burn houses, and take scoolps; trade wid dese! I would trate wid dem,
wid a good shelelah, or tomahawk to break der heads. Give dem goods! by
Shaint Patrick, I would give dem a good bullet hole in deir faces; or
shoot dem trough de backside for deir pains. If I was in Cangress, and
God love your shouls, I wish you would put me dere, I would make a law
to coot dem aff, every one odem. O! if my uncle Phelim, and my cousins
Dennis and Dermot, and my brother Murtock, and de oder boys was here,
we would chase dem, as you would chase one of deir own shape; and keep
dem aff de country, and send dem home to ate paratoes. God love your shouls,
raise a good party and go out upon dem, and bring dem to de coort, and
not let dem be staling shape, and taking scoolps from de poor people.

You
tink to plase dem, by spaking good words to dem. Spake a good cudgel upon
der heads, and bid dem be asy dear honies, and keep at deir homes, and
plant paratoes, and be hangd in deir own country; plase your anours.
Trate wid dem! Trate wid de
wolves or de bears, dat roon troo de woods: I would trate wid a good
knock in deir troat, and be doon wid dem.

From
the manner in which he spoke, of having been in danger of losing his scalp,
and the Captain rescuing him, it was understood that he had been in a
campaign against the Indians, and his fervour was excused, and thought
natural. Those particularly who were for using force against the savages,
thought the Irish gentleman had spoken very well.

Encouraged
with this success, the bog-trotter was confirmed in his opinion, that
he was fit for any political appointment; and the Captain himself, began
to entertain better hopes of his advances than he had yet done.